What Can You See In Their Eyes?
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Death is NEVER the end. What would have happened if Naruto actually had a DIFFERENT father figure in his life? Someone to guide him, train him, and keep him on the right path? This is the story of what could have happened. NarutoxHinata Bleach x-over
1. Ammend

**_R.I.P. This fic is in honor of Shirosaki-sama. She, my dearest and most precious friend, has gone on to another better place, where I can only pray she will be in peace. I was recently informed of this and therefore, have posted this fic in honor of her, the writer who never really got her chance to shine as she should have. My last new Naruto fic for a WHILE. After this I need to be alone..._**

**_Read, review, and well...you know the rest._**

**_I Will Ammend My Mistakes._**

To most people who know me, my name is Shusuke Amagai. That name, however, is only half right. My name by birth is Shusuke Kisaragi, son of Shinetsu Kisaregi. My father was a kind man, good in his heart and honorable. He believed in giving everyone a chance, as he liked to find the goodness in people. However, he was not so naive that he believed it existed in everyone. He used to tell me that all you could do is extend your kindness to the other person. If the person you offered it to proved themselves to be of bad character or hurt you, move on. All you could do is try. I admired him and his non-judgmental nature and dreamed of the day that I would grow up to be just like him.

Now...

It would seem that my day has come.

---

Cries of diseblief and dismay filled the air as a pillar of fire shot down from the sky, It slammed into the ground, spraying out steam and mud in every direction. Standing at the center of the blast, was a man, barechested, his shihakusho torn and ragged.

He opened his eyes, gasped, and blinked in surprise. Surprised that he could still breathe, let alone blink. He had just tried to kill himself, yet, where was he now. Rain, thick, wet droplets, splashed down onto his bloodied, singed face. At his feet, lay a boy, barely even a few hours old. There was a strange symbol painted across his stomach-

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Shuusuke Amagai." The man in the tattered shihakusho answered quietly, without thinking. Upon turning his gaze slightly to the right, his eyes widened, for he found himself surrounded by a group of people wearing strange outfits, flak vests, and headbands engraved with a leaf symbol.

Most of whom, were glaring angrily at the infant. After a moment, the boy stopped crying, and opened his eyes. They were the most startling shade of sapphire, and for a moment, just a moment, they gave Amagai pause. Then the infant reached up to him, apparently wishing to be held.

This boy...he had power. And to think, he was only a newborn. Briefly, the ex-captain clasped the hilt of _Raika_. With this, he felt the approval of his sword, and after another moment, took a deep breath.

"Where is the infant's mother and father?"

Silence. Some hung their heads, others...gave less pleasant reactions.

"I see." Pity stabbed at his heart, and refused to heal the wound left there. To lose one's parent, Shusuke Amagai knew this pain all too well. But surely the boy's pain would be much, much greater. He would never even remember his mother and father, and would always be left to wonder.

Such an alternative remained unacceptable, in his mind. The death of Shin'etsu Kisaragi still left a blackened spot upon Amagai's heart, alongside the constant guilt he felt for misunderstanding the last, dying breath of his father. He'd caused so much pain for a simple misunderstanding...

Would this boy have the same path? Could that path be prevented if there was someone to watch over him, prevent him from leading a life filled with hatred and vengeance? Possibly. Most likely. Certainly.

With this in mind Amagai knelt down before the boy, and swiftly scooped him up in the crook of his left arm. Immediately, the boy's crying ceased, and he grew quiet, wincing only as a raindrop plinked into his right eye, and even then, he only squirmed a bit, nestling himself in tightly, his face into the chest of the shinigami, and away from the rain. A faint smile flickered across the worn visage of the ex-captain, before being replaced by a stern scowl, one that now found itself focused upon the crowd.

"Then henceforth, I take this child as my own."

"Wait," Someone protested, "You can't just-

In anger, Amagai seized Raika's hilt with his free hand. Flames trickled across the katana, creating steam as the rain hit them. But a few droplets could not quench the fury of his zanpakutou, and within moments, the night itself was basked in the afterglow of the inferno.

_"Tachikire....Raika!"_

With a triumphant trumpeting sound, _Raika _glowed a brazen white as it transformed, more flames licking out from the tubes at the hilt, and the curved, crescent hook at its tip. Pointing the crux of said hook at the nearest villager, Amagai remained ominously silent, daring them to speak out in protestation again.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Someone made the mistake of saying, and Amagai did not so much as glance over his shoulder when a spark of flame turned that man into a pile of ashes. Backing away from their companions remains, some of the villagers drew weapons...

Only for a dense air of reaitsu to smother them.

"Please, calm down."

Whipping his sword towards the speaker, Shusuke Amagai found himself face to face with an elderly man. Like the others, he was dressed in combat attire, though his expression seemed to convey gentle kindness, sadness, as opposed to the brash disgust of other villagers.

"Who in the hell are you?"

"I, am Hiruzen Sarutobi. The leader of this village" A small smile now touched the elder's face. "And that boy you have there, the one whom you have professed a concern for," Now Sarutobi directed his gaze to the contented infant still nestled against Amagai's bare chest, and by now, sound asleep.

"Is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hmph." Amagai snorted in contempt, Raika flaring angrily at his side. "So then, you would ask _me_ to trust _you_, a complete stranger. What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"Is it not so strange that I see you as such?" Sarutobi countered. "Normal men don't simply appear in a flash of fire as you just did."

"I don't believe I ever classified myself as normal."

"Nor did I."

Despite his best efforts, Shusuke actually felt himself beginning to take a _liking_ to this man. Though he was old by human standards, compared to a shinigami like himself, this man was still quite young. His sharp wit exceeded his age, and the fact that he, like most of the villagers, could see him without a gigai, certainly spoke for itself.

"Speak what you have to say, then. I'll deign to listen to you."

"You have my thanks then." Sarutobi gave a stiff bow and released the spiritual pressure. "Now, if you'll please follow me inside? I'd prefer to have this discussion away from prying ears and eyes, if you don't mind."

Amagai shook his head, reluctantly sealing Raika back into the sealed state of a kodachi.

"I don't."

And as they entered the gates, rain continued to fall, all throughout the night.

--

**_A/N:_**

**Alright, Before you ask, because I just know you will, I have absolutely NO idea if Naruto will just become a shinigami, ninja, hell or maybe even both. However, _if _he should become a shinigami, he will _not _get Zangetsu. Ichigo and the rest of the Bleach crew are alive and well, so I don't want him having one someone else has. Kazeshini or Nejibana _might _be the exception to that rule, but only them, cuz Kaien's croaked and wind is _obviously_Naruto's natural element. Otherwise he'll get an original zanpaktou. Vote on the poll for that.**

**The matter of him, living in Konoha or living/traveling to and from Soul Society is something else entirely. In case you've forgotten, they're kinda in the middle of a WAR right now, and Amagai isn't exactly welcome after all the chaos he caused. But like I said, its up in the air. They _might_forgive him if he joins back up during the big brawl with Aizen, which at the moment, ain't looking too good for the heroes if you've been keeping up with the manga.**

**Any-who, enough of my babbling. Please Review, PM me with questions(if you have any), Read, tell me what you think and where I should go from here. I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Sorry if this wasn't my usual style, I...just can't think straight right now.**


	2. Whispering Katana

**_I thank all of you for your condolences. Truly, truly I do. T_T Well, now that I'm feeling relatively SANE again, I'll try to pump out this chapter, and give everyone(myself included) a very much needed touch of Naruhina. And since Nejibana and Kazeshini are currently getting their asses kicked in the poll, Naruto's gonna get an original one, so hopefully you'll be interested in that? Anyways, _****_Read, review, and well...you know the rest. This is the best I could do at the moment. So...enjoy._**

**_Whispering Katana _**

_Now, we pick up thirteen years later. Amagai Shusuke displayed no interest in the rank of a shinobi, but instead took up residence in one of the many manors of Konoha. No one dared to harm Naruto, and those that did, turned to ash and vanished on the wind. And so, the years passed, with the boy growing up under the watchful eye of the shinigami._

_Well nutured, well cared for, respected, understood, __Uzumaki Naruto flourished, both in body and soul. A smile never once left his face, not once in those thirteen years of his childhood. He had many classmates, and therefore, many friends, all of whom he valued dearly._

_Now, we stop the pendelum on the fateful day of graduation...._

_--_

_Inhale._

The boy remained in the clearing, his legs crossed his eyes scrunched shut. He paid no heed to the pair of bluebirds that had chosen to perch upon his shoulder, nor the squirrel that had curled itself up upon his unruly mane of blond hair. He barely even noticed them. He'd been here since midmorning, and now, it was nearly afternoon.

His legs had fallen asleep by ten, and now, he wasn't sure he could feel his right shoulder, what with his little guests currently perched there and such. Something told him he had mud on his face as well, and his nose was itching something terrible.

But Naruto had been told to sit out here, so sit he would. He didn't understand why, dad had just told him to sit out here and focus, inhaling and exhaling until he heard a voice, not just any voice, but a voice inside his head.

Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

The weapons strapped to his back, resembled a pair of dual kodachi with orange hiltwraps, sheltered in two exceptionally thick bright azure blue sheathes. Their guards were molded in the distinctive shape of a fox head, with swirling patterns carved into the oblong bronze.

Again, Naruto didn't know where they had come from. He'd been given them on his fifth birthday, but hadn't been allowed to actually _use_ them until he was twelve. And regretabbly, his experience in the world of swordplay was horribly lacking. He preferred kunai and shuriken, as well as the handful of flame jutsu, learned from scrolls he'd been given as a present on his eleventh birthday. Not to mention that kage bunshin scroll dad had _borrowed_ for him on his tenth birthday.

And now, finally, as he mused over all these happy times...the twin kodachi pulsed a faint red. They felt hot against his back, spreading the warmth throughout his body, on this cool spring day.

Exhale.

A deep silence came over the forest.

Inhale.

The sound and color faded away.

Exhale.

The wind began to blow.

_Hello? Hello? _A pair of voices called, almost eagerly. _Can you hear us, Naruto?_

_'Who are you?'_

The two voices laughed, and a girlish giggle filled his ears.

_Don't you know? We are **********_

_'Huh? I couldn't hear it. Where they trying to say something?'_

_Aw, you can't hear us yet, can you?_

_'Wait-_

"Ano...Na-Naruto-kun?"

"Gah!" His concentration hopelessly shattered, the blond fell flat forward on his face, sighing in exasperation as the two bluebirds' took to the sky, and the squirrel scampered off his head, leaving its acorn behind.

"S-Sumimasen!" The girl squeaked out.

"Itei itei itei!...He half grumbled, half whined picking himself up, dusting all the dirt and dust off his outfit, then turning to glare at the offending speaker, her pale orbs widening slightly in surprise as he rubbed the growing welt on his cranium. "Hinata-chan! That really hurt!"

"Ano...why is your outfit so tattered?"

"Eh?" Naruto now paused to peer down at his attire. "Oh, you mean this!" In place of the typical style he had worn when they were younger, Naruto now wore a light blue, sleeveless kosode, inlined with orange at the edges. Likewise, his black hakama pants, which he wore to better resemble his father, looked as if they'd been slightly singed, the orange streaks he'd sown into them, practically burned grey.

"I was just practicing a fire jutsu." He grinned, rising to his feet with a chuckle, before casting a disparaging glare towards the tree stump he'd practiced it on just last night. "Yeah. It kinda...backfired. I guess thats what happens when I try to use Kage bunshin and Katon jutsu's, neh?"

Hinata fought, and failed to control her blush as Naruto turned his attention back to her. To think, that Naruto-kun had actually been shorter than her when they were five! Now, he'd struck puberty, and though his voice continued to crack (much to his embarrassment) he'd shot up, and was a good two inches taller than her.

"So..." Naruto began, cocking his head like a sparrow. "You were looking for me, Hinata? How come?"

"Ah!" That brought the young Hyuuga back to her senses. "The...The graduation exam!" Naruto stared at her for a moment, his eyes widening to the point of extrication. That's right, today was...was...

"Crap!" Naruto swore, smacking one fist into an open palm. "I totally forgot about it! Hinata! When is it?!"

"N-Now." Hinata stammered meakly. "Th-That's why I c-came to get you."

"NANI?!" Naruto yelped, "Then we gotta go!" And just like that, before Hinata could hope to say anything else, he'd shot past her, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her along with him. He was moving at such speeds that it took the Hyuuga heiress roughly five seconds to realize what had just happened, but when she did....

Pale, lavender orbs, widened in surprise, then narrowed as she felt another helpless bout of dizziness coming on, which meant that she was about to faint. Nothing could be done about it. She'd always feel dizzy, giddy even if he brushed past her, or talked about her, but holding his hand, holding his hand....was another matter altogether.

_'My hand...he's...holding...my...hand...._

"Na-Naruto...I...Unable to control herself any long, Hinata Hyuuga collapsed, right then and there, leaving Naruto to skid to a halt, eyes tripling with disbelief as she slumped to the ground behind him.

"Eh? Oi! Hinata! This isn't anytime for a nap!"

"I'd have to agree with you on that." A voice came from behind them just then." She seems to have a pretty frail constitution, after all." Naruto didn't recognize it, but felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise all the same as the figure stepped into the clearing.

The most notable features about him, were his chestnut brown eyes, and crimson red hair, tied back behind his head into a ponytail, somewhat obscurring the tattoos, starting above his eyebrows. That, and he was dressed in a black garment, something people usually only wore at a funeral.

"Who...are you?"

The newcomer smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing, kid. That's a zanpakuto you've got there, ain't it?"

"A what?"

**_Next time: Naruto's new team? Hinata's admiration? And who the hell is this guy with the red hair?!_**

**_A/N: Alright, we'll get to see Amagai and maybe even some other bleach characters next chap, so I really hope you read, review and enjoy all of this, and, well...yeah._**


	3. Eh?

**_I thank all of you for your condolences. Truly, truly I do. T_T Well, now that I'm feeling relatively SANE again, I'll try to pump out this chapter, and give everyone(myself included) a very much needed touch of Naruhina. And since Nejibana and Kazeshini are currently getting their asses kicked in the poll, Naruto's gonna get an original one, so hopefully you'll be interested in that? Anyways, _****_Read, review, and well...you know the rest. This is the best I could do at the moment. So...enjoy._**

**_Team, Admiration, Admonishment_**

"Eh? Oi! Hinata! This isn't anytime for a nap! We're gonna be late!"

"I'd have to agree with you on that." A voice came from behind them just then." She seems to have a pretty frail constitution, after all." Naruto didn't recognize it, but felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise all the same as the figure stepped into the clearing.

The most notable features about him, were his chestnut brown eyes, and crimson red hair, tied back behind his head into a ponytail, somewhat obscurring the tattoos, starting above his eyebrows. That, and he was dressed in a black garment, something people usually only wore at a funeral.

Add all that to the sword at his waist, and you had one very intimidating looking guy.

"Who...are you?" Naruto could barely choke the words out.

The newcomer smirked.

"I could ask you the same thing, kid. That's a zanpakuto you've got there, ain't it?"

"A what?"

"A zanpaktou." _Now_ the man was getting irritated. "C'mon kid, do you really expect me to believe you _don't_ know how to use something like that? Look, you've got each sheathe on a different side, so you can draw it with either hand! You were trying to communicate with it a second ago! And in case you haven't noticed, your reaitsu was all over the place!"

"As is yours, _lieutenant_." Turning towards the sound of the voice, the man all but froze. There, entering the clearing, was a man who was supposed to be dead. Granted, he'd swapped out his haori and shihakusho for a standard pair of black shinobi slacks and a long sleeved blue shirt, but there was no mistaking the zanpakutou belted to hip.

"A-Amagai-taichou!" For the second time that day, the stranger lost his composure, and found himself giving a low, stiff bow before he realized that he should not be doing so. Fumbling, he straightened himself up in a vain attempt to recover his dignity. "Er....I mean, Amagai Shusuke."

A wan smile spread across Shusuke's face as he watched the youth try to control himself. Apparently, in the thirteen years since he'd been gone, tradition was still something the Sereitei maintained in earnest.

"Long time no see, Renji."

"T-Tou-san!" Naruto sputtered in surprise at the unexpected appearance of his 'father', but moreso that said 'father' actually _knew_ this wierd redheaded guy. "You...know this guy?"

"Naruto." Amagai interrupted, refusing to face his son as he kept his back between them. "You're going to be late. You have a test to take, remember? You should be going"

"But-

"Go." The temperature rose several degrees as Amagai clasped the olive green hilt of _Raika, _closing the discussion with a sharp yank of his kodachi coming free of its sheathe. _"Now." _Fire began to lick at the blade's tip, and to Naruto, that meant it was time to leave, even if he really, _really,_ didn't want to.

"Y-Yeah." The blond nodded weakly, bending down to drape Hinata over his back, bracing his legs for takeoff. "I-I'll see you when I get home... I guess." Moments later, he dissapeared, either in a body flicker or a flash of some other high speed movement, leaving the two adults to quarrel.

The man known as Renji watched them go.

"Taichou, who _was_ that?"

"I already told you, its not Amagai-taichou. Not anymore."

"Heh. Sorry." Renji scratched the back of his head sheepishly, but his gaze still hadn't strayed from Amagai's sword. In fact, his hand had just now curled about Zabimaru's hilt, just in case the ex-captain _did_ try and cross swords with him. "I guess...old habits die hard, huh?"

Shusuke glanced towards Renji's katana.

"That they do."

"But that kid-

"That's not your concern, Renji." Amagai warned, his eyes narrowing sternly. "It's mine."

Renji remained silent for a moment. How could he tell his former superior that they were gathering kids with exceptionally high reaitsu and drafting them right into the Soul Reaper Academy? Instead, he sputtered out the first thing that came to mind.

"But we need you! We need all the help we can get!"

"As I said before, my place is here. You'll just have to trust me."

"Should I trust you?" he asked, his thumb inching forward slightly to rest on the guard of his sword. With an almost unnoticed movement, he pushed the digit forward and unlocked Zabimaru from its sheath. "You're asking a lot of me, considering all that you've done."

Amagai's smile vanished and he stopped in his tracks, his sandals planting themselves into the soil below. His upper lip arched back up slightly, his mouth now a cross between a snarl and a sneer as his eyes narrowed and darted down to _Zabimaru. _His own left hand tightened on _Raika_ as he made eye contact with Abarai once more.

"Don't," he said with a deadly tone. "If you so much as raise a hand against me, I won't hesitate to kill you."

--

Renji stomped his way through the empty streets of Soul Society, once more pissed that someone had made him look like an ass today. This whole mission had been a cluster-fuck from the beginning and it certainly didn't help that he was beginning to have misgivings about this whole thing After falling for Amagai's sob-story, being ambushed by the pair of arrancar enroute back here, and nearly losing his life, Renji was tired of looking like a complete and total failure.

"Renji!" Rukia's voice floated to him. She sounded distant as his angry thoughts managed to turn the majority of his surroundings into white noise. Renji turned his head and looked over his shoulder, his pace only slowing once he noticed her struggling to catch up to him. He stopped and waited, noting the angry look in her eye as she closed the distance between them.

"What the hell was that?" she asked as she approached, her violet eyes wide in anger. "We were supposed to go in teams. You can't just storm off like that."

"Sorry," he said through his teeth as she finally reached his side, her arms crossing over her chest as she continued to glare at him. "I figured you would be a little faster than that."

"Don't you _dare _give me that," she snapped, her hands shooting to her hips instantly. "Something is obviously bugging you and you're taking it out on me."

"It's not you,Rukia. " Renji hissed as he turned back around and continued to march swiftly along the pathway. His brown eyes blazed angrily as he rounded the corner that would lead to the sixth division. "I'm just....really pissed right now. But I'm sorry. I just....don't want you getting invovled with this."

"Renji?" She called softly to his back. He paused, turned, and forced himself to smile as a Hell Butterfly suddenly flitted in between them, to land on Rukia's now outstrteched finger.

"Rukia, I'm fine, really."

As if assauged of her worries, the new lieutenant of the thirteenth division nodded weakly.

"Well... I have to go then. Ukitake-taichou's calling."

"Scram." Renji shooed her off with a weak smile. "I'll be fine."

She stared at him for a moment longer, before nodding.

"Yeah."

Renji watched her go, then sighed, his shoulders drooping heavily.

"Taichou...how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough." A calm voice replied as Kuchiki Byakuya materialized behind his lieutenant. "So...what should I do?"

"Do whatever you wish." The captain replied, his footfalls now carrying him past Renji. "After all, I have no concern for those who would break the laws of the Soul Society."

Renji gaped for a moment, then bowed stiffly.

"Understood!"

This was something he needed to take care of personally.

--

"Alright, Team seven: Sakura Haruno, Shino Aburame, and Sasuke Uchiha."

A collective groan went up from all the female students, with the exception of one enthused Sakura Haruno, who remained positively elated that Sasuke was on _her_ team. Shino took one look at his two teammates, sized them up, and shook his head silently. A ditzy fangirl who was more concerned with her _makeup_ than her shinobi skills, and an emo Uchiha with a superiority complex.

Add in the factor that he hated both of them _already_ and....

This would not end well.

And still, the proctor droned on.

"Team Eight: Kiba Inuzuka...excuse me, what exactly are you doing, Naruto?"

"Hmm?" Shino swiveled his gaze towards the doorway, and was met with a rather intriguing sight. Naruto, meanwhile looked up, unabashed as everyone stared at him openly. Or rather, at one unconcious Hinata Hyuuga whom he had slung over his shoulders as if she were little more than a sack of flour.

"Oh!" He laughed. "Well, Hinata kinda fainted, so I brought her here for the exam!"

Everyone sweatdropped. Naruto _did_ have the highest grades in the academy, higher even than Sasuke's, but sometimes, he could be just a little...well, dense, for lack of a better word. That, and his rebuffal considering most females, was what made Sasuke his peer in popularity.

"Erm...okay." Iruka scratched the back of his head. "Well then, if you two could please take your seats?"

"Sure thing. Iruka-sensei!" Naruto chirped cheerily, setting Hinata down in the first empty seat he could find, before quickly vaulting over the desk and into his own. He landed with a silent swish, earning him several more stares, before Iruka finally gathered his wits again.

And as he continued to read off the list, Hinata began to stir.

"Alright, now where were we? Team Eight: Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, and...Naruto Uzumaki."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then....

"EH?!"

**_A/N: This idea is MUCH better, in my opinion. I'm not too set on the idea of Naruto being part of team seven, so instead, I opted to swap him with Shino and place him on team eight. By the way, my email isnt working properly, so whoever reads this, could u please pass on the knowledge that the chap is up? I really hope you read, review and enjoy all of this, and, well...yeah. Next chapter we get to see a few more captains, and maybe even some affection on Naruto's part???_**

**_Next time: Tests, Interference, Irritation._**


	4. Team, Stranger, Trouble

**_MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! CONSIDER THIS CHAPTER (AND THE MUCH NEEDED TOUCH OF NARUXHINA) MY GIFT TO ALL OF YOU FAITHFUL READERS WHO'VE FOLLOWED MY STORIES THESE PAST FEW YEARS! READ AND REVIEW! JA NE!_**

**_Team + Stranger= Trouble_**

"EH?!" Naruto's disbelieving shout and Hinata's startled gasp of surprise, both echoed loudly throughout the classroom. And of course, everyone stared, which certainly didn't help the matter any. Confused as to why Naruto had just hollered at the top of his lungs, Iruka just _had_ to ask:

"What's wrong?"

"I..." Naruto ground his teeth together silently for about five more seconds. "Iruka-sensei...could I be on another team?"

"Nope." The Special Jonin replied cheerily taking due note of Naruto's discomfort in the situation. "I think this team suits you just fine." After a few tense moments, Iruka coughed into his fist, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Well, then if you'll all just wait here, your sensei will be in shortly."

"This...is... bullshit!" Naruto, apparently VERY discontent with this, snorted, folded his arms, and leaned back in his seat, until he was gazing up at the ceiling. Everyone else fell away into the white noise of chatter that began once Iruka left. His day had just worsened considerably, and to anyone else, it looked as if nothing could drag the jinchuuriki from his foul mood.

And yet one individual dared to try.

"Ano...Naruto-kun?"

"What?" He grumbled, trying to keep his gaze averted to the ceiling, but his eyes strayed toward Hinata as he said it. His friend of three years just had that way about her, and truly, he didn't want to upset her, especially when he had the feeling that it was because of his recent spazzing out session.

"Is..." Unable to meet his gaze for more than those five meager seconds, Hinata began to tent her fingers again, and Naruto blew a tuft of hair away from his nose in silent annoyance until she found her voice once more, only for his eyes to widen moments later. "Is it really that bad, being on the same team as me?"

"Eh?"

"Is-

"I heard," He growled quietly, and suddenly, Naruto was upright again, hand raised for silence about whatever she had been about to say prior to his interruption, "you the first time." Now, he glared at her, and for a moment, just a moment, Hinata stared into those matchless cerulean orbs and lost herself all over again.

"Don't you _dare_ say that it's your fault."

"What?" Hinata found herself mumbling, only to wince as the blond angrily slapped a palm down upon the desk, eliciting a sharp popping sound as the wood splintered beneath his fingers. Everyone paused, looked up, and caught every last word of what the youth said next.

"Didn't you hear me before?! I said it's _not your fault, Hinata!"_

By now, a dozen eyes were fixated upon their little scene.

Tsking, Naruto grabbed his best friend by the wrist, and with a warning glare that clearly said 'follow and die' unceremoniously dragged her outside, further making a scene, much to his charign, as the door to the classroom slammed shut behind them.

"Na-Naruto-kun!" Hinata protested, wincing once more at his iron clad grip, her face turning an impossibly bright pink as they passed by several chunin, and even a few jonin, on the way to their destination. "M-My wrist!"

Finally, Naruto _did_ let her go, but only after they had arrived on the roof and left everyone else behind. And even then, he made sure to walk the entire way across, before finally exhaling sharply, and whirling back around to face her, with a decent distance between them.

When he spoke, he was suddenly, unusually, serious.

"Hinata...why do you keep doubting yourself?"

Taken aback, Hinata could only stare, and when his gaze once again proved to intense to endure, she could only hang her head and fidget silently, hoping that he didn't think any less of her for it.

Naruto remained silent for a moment longer.

"Is it because of your family?"

"I-Iie!" She cried suddenly, surprising him with her forcefulness. "It...It doesn't have anything to do wit them!" Naruto waited for about ten seconds, and when no reply was forthcoming, he exhaled again, but softer this time.

"Hinata...we're friends, aren't we?"

At that moment, Hinata Hyuuga nearly burst into tears. Friends. Did he have any idea how much it hurt her whenever he said that terrible word? Was he really that oblivious to her feelings? Would she ever be able to tell him how she felt? No, she'd rather die than ruin their friendship, than lose him forever. But...

"You can tell me anything, you know that, right?" Naruto-kun was being honest, he was being genuine, he was being...her friend. And it only hurt her all the more, for though he was always honest with her, she could only lie to him.

A slightly crestfallen look replaced the smile, and Hinata choked back a sob as she realized she'd hurt him, she'd hurt her Naruto-kun once again. Friends weren't supposed to hurt one another, but she hurt him so often, that she wasn't sure if she really _was_ his friend.

"Look....You wanna know why I'm pissed, right?"

"...."

"It's the setup of our team. And quite frankly, I don't like it." Naruto explained, sitting down on a nearby bench, and patting the spot beside him, which Hinata took, albeit nervously, careful not to let him brush up against her. "You and Kiba are trackers, but _think_, what am _I_ good at?"

"Um...taijutsu?" Hinata spluttered nervously, trying to ignore their close proximity. She didn't want to say that she knew this because she'd been watching him practice almost every night, so this was the best that her misery addled, muddle mind, could come up with at the moment.

Thankfully, Naruto didn't seem to pick up on her little white lie.

"Right." Naruto nodded sharply, as if he'd just had an epiphany. "You and Kiba are better suited for tracking. Me? I can't even smell my own two feet. See?" He kicked up a leg and wiggled his toes for emphasis, leading Hinata to blink in surprise and confusion. "For all I know, these guys could be covered in mold."

A shy smile suddenly flickered across Hinata's lips, then stubbornly refused to leave.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto declared suddenly, the grin returning en masse, relighting his whiskered face once more. "I just made you smile. I haven't seen that in awhile, Hinata. Anyways-

"Charming your comrades?" A woman's voice interupted, "That's one of your many talents, isn't it, Naruto?" Said genin prickled slightly, his blue gaze sliding across the rooftop, falling upon the ruby red eyes, belonging to that of a young woman, who was now sauntering over to them. Her attire, much like her blood red gaze, was nothing short of odd.

And in the eyes of Uzumaki Naruto, odd equaled dangerous.

"Who're you?"

"Now now," The woman pursed her lips, hands instantly shooting to her hips, as if she were scolding an insolent child, which in a sense, she actually was. "Is that any way for a genin to talk to his _sensei?"_

Naruto bit back a retort, but clealry it took some effort, something the Jonin woman smiled at. Suddenly, she smiled and extended a hand, surprising both genin, including Naruto who stared at her blankly.

"I'm Kurenai Yūhi. It's nice to meet you, Naruto."

--

_(Meanwhile)_

The man rolled out of bed with barely a grunt.

"Damn...Morning already?"

After a few moments of fumbling around in the dark, he finally found his kimono and haori, and after a few seconds of terse silence, there was a soft swishing sound, indicating that he had donned said garments.

He doused his face with cold water, strapped the large, cleaver-like blade to his back, and groaned as the lights flickered on, nearly rendering him blind from the intense glare.

The face that greeted him in the mirror was a worn one, chestnut brown eyes lined with stress, strawberry blonde, spiky hair, matted down, in the classic form of a bedhead.

"Kurosaki Ichigo-taichou!" The loud sound of knocking, accompanied by a cheery female voice called. "It's time to get up! We have our mission in the real world today!" Again, the man winced, futilely clasping both hands over his ears when the incessant din did not cease.

"Yare, yare, keep it down, will ya, Hinamori?! I'm up! Just gimme a cup of coffee! AND STOP BANGING ON THE DAMN DOOR!"

"Hai!"

When the pounding quited, and her footfalls faded away in the opposite direction, the captain groaned once more. Briefly glancing over his lavish quarters, he allowed himself a soft, nostalgic sigh as his gaze rested upon his most cherished possession.

A faded, worn photograph of him and his friends, filled with so many memories, both happy and sad, but mostly sad, as he recalled what the war had taken from everyone. They weren't dead, but with the war tilting in Aizen's favor, and with their hometown in shambles, it really felt as if they were. Quietly, Ichigo approached it, frowned, and rubbed off a spot of dust on its glass frame. Silently, he set it down, exhaling angrily as he did so.

"Damnit Renji, you better be right about this kid....

"Ichigo-taichou!"

A throbbing vein appeared on the captain's temple.

"DAMNIT MOMO! I'M COMING!"

**_Next time: Deepening a bond, Losing another. Sayonara, Amagai Shusuke???_**


End file.
